azement, Mr. Crofter himself, with some mining concerns he had in the
north. Mr. Crofter had never quite seen eye to eye with Lawyer Ed,
since the latter had declared flatly and loudly, at a tea-meeting given
by the Sons of Temperance, that a man who sold liquor over a bar was a
curse to the community. But Mr. Crofter knew when he wanted his
business well done. He distrusted almost every one in Algonquin, but
he knew old Angus McRae's son would be incapable of dishonesty.

The second surprise came a few months later when the success of
Crofter's deal had made the young lawyer's name. Alexander Graham took
all his business out of the hands of the Willoughby firm, and gave it
to Brians & McRae.

That evening Roderick was asked to the Grahams for dinner, as a further
honour. He went with some trepidation, as it was his first venture
into society. Mr. Graham was exceedingly genial, and Leslie was
charming, but the lady of the house was rather distant. She could not
help seeing Leslie's partiality towards Roderick and resented it. As
her husband's lawyer, the young man was quite acceptable, but as a
possible aspirant to his daughter's favour he would be entirely out of
place. Fred Hamilton was the only other one present outside the
family. The young man sat in sulky silence most of the evening, a
circumstance which seemed to put his pretty hostess into a high good
humour.

The invitation to the Grahams was the signal for other doors to open.
Roderick was invited everywhere. And wherever he went there was Miss
Leslie Graham, the belle of every occasion, and always ready to bestow
her greatest favours upon him. He always looked about him at these gay
gatherings of young people half-expecting to see the young lady he had
met on the _Inverness_; but he was always disappointed, and wondered
why she did not appear.

Helen Murray, herself, often wondered why she was not bidden to the
many festivities of which she heard the gay Miss Annabel talk.

"You will probably be invited out a great deal, Miss Murray," Miss
Armstrong cautioned her, "and I hope you will select very carefully the
places you visit. You see you are practically one of our family, and
though we respect all grades of society, you must realise that we have
a position to maintain. And I hope you won't think me interfering, my
dear; but if you would consult Annabel and me, as to accepting an
invitation, I think it would be wise. We should like so muc